The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, held after a lengthy 80-minute delay, concluded with Oscar Piastri claiming a crucial victory that expanded his championship lead by 15 points. While the race itself lacked overtakes among the top eight drivers in its final 32 laps, several standout performances emerged throughout the sprint weekend. Piastri outperformed Lando Norris with a decisive move during green-flag conditions, showcasing his strong pace and growth, especially after learning from Max Verstappen’s tactics in the sprint race.
Among the top performers was Alex Albon, who rebounded strongly after a series of retirements. His sixth-place finish not only marked a personal turnaround but also gave Williams a significant boost in their pursuit of fifth in the Constructors’ Championship. Charles Leclerc also continued his solid season with another podium finish. Beating Verstappen to third place, Leclerc demonstrated resilience and consistent form while extending his advantage over his Ferrari teammate, Lewis Hamilton.
Max Verstappen, meanwhile, had a mixed weekend marked by team changes and technical setbacks. Despite winning the sprint under the interim leadership of Laurent Mekies after Christian Hornerโs departure, a major downforce adjustment hindered his performance in the main race. Still, his overall pace kept him competitive. Rookie Gabriel Bortoleto impressed too, bouncing back from his Silverstone crash to finish ninth, adding valuable points for Stake and cementing his improving form in F1.
On the flip side, some drivers struggled considerably. Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso both failed to score, with Alonso finishing a season-worst 17th, ending a four-race streak of top 10 results. Lewis Hamilton salvaged his rating slightly by gaining 10 positions in the race but had earlier suffered poor qualifying results in both SQ1 and Q1, limiting his overall impact. Hamilton’s strong early race pace in damp conditions wasnโt enough to offset his qualifying missteps.
Other disappointing performances included Franco Colapinto and Kimi Antonelli. Colapinto, filling in at Alpine, was again off the pace, finishing 19th in both races. Meanwhile, Antonelliโs European struggles continued as he failed to make it past early qualifying sessions and ended the race 16th, leaving him without any points from six European rounds. These underwhelming performances hint at mounting pressure and uncertainty for some of the grid’s newer or younger talents.
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